LeBron James Says Race Was a Factor in Public Backlash

LeBron James is now the sixth most hated athlete in America after his decision to ditch Cleveland and join a superteam in Miami. He now says that part of the backlash he endured stems from racial issues. James made the comments in an interview that aired on CNN yesterday and is not backing down from the remarks.

CNN anchor Soledad O'Brien asked James if he thought his race had anything to do with the backlash.

"I think so at times," James replied. "It's always, you know, a race factor."

"It definitely played a role in some of the stuff coming out of the media, things that were written for sure," agreed his marketing chief Maverick Carter.

The AP points out that many who have criticized James are African-American themselves, including Magic Johnson and Charles Barkley.

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